Study Details Why World Hates Trans Women the Most
A massive new study involving over 16,000 participants across 23 countries has just done the equivalent of saying the quiet part out loud: people are more prejudiced against transgender women than transgender men. This study, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science by researcher Jaime Napier, offers statistical backup for what trans feminists have been shouting for decades—that trans women are uniquely targeted at the intersection of transphobia and misogyny.
But let’s not break out the confetti just yet. The study, while groundbreaking in scale, suffers from a fatal flaw: it fails to name the root of the problem—transmisogyny. And that omission is as telling as the data itself.
What the Numbers Say
First, the facts. Napier’s study is impressive for its scope, with over 16,000 participants from 23 countries, split between “Western” nations like Canada, the U.S., and Spain, and “non-Western” nations like China, Russia, and South Korea. Its findings? Globally, trans women are rated more negatively than trans men. This trend is starkest in non-Western countries but persists even in places we like to think of as LGBTQ+ friendly.
Other key findings include:
- Men Are the Problem, Again: Male participants were more prejudiced against transgender people overall, with non-Western men holding particularly negative attitudes.
- Religion and Conservatism Add Fuel: In Western countries, higher religiosity and conservatism correlated strongly with anti-trans bias.
- Young People Aren’t Off the Hook: While younger generations are less homophobic overall, Napier’s study found that many Western youths harbour specific animosity towards trans people. The “LGB without the T” crowd has clearly left its mark.
All of this data matters. But Napier’s interpretation? Not quite there. The study acknowledges the intense focus on trans women in public debates—from anti-trans sports bans to bathroom bills—but stops short of identifying the root cause: transmisogyny, the uniquely vicious blend of sexism and transphobia that targets trans women. That silence speaks volumes.
Trans women are painted as predatory, dangerous, and fraudulent in ways that trans men and cisgender women simply are not. It’s not because they’re inherently more controversial—it’s because society fears their refusal to conform to patriarchal gender norms.
The Problem with Ignoring Transmisogyny
Let’s talk transmisogyny. Coined by trans feminist Julia Serano in her essential 2007 book Whipping Girl, the term describes how trans women are doubly punished—for being trans and for being women. Napier’s study dances around this reality but doesn’t name it, which is a glaring omission for a project of this scale.
Why does this matter? Because transmisogyny isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the structural force behind the political and cultural scapegoating of trans women. Trans women are painted as predatory, dangerous, and fraudulent in ways that trans men and cisgender women simply are not. This isn’t because they’re inherently more controversial; it’s because society views their very existence as a failure to conform to patriarchal gender norms.
By contrast, trans men often escape the worst of this scrutiny. Society may invalidate their gender or dismiss their experiences, but it rarely constructs them as threats. That’s why anti-trans legislation overwhelmingly targets trans women in sports, healthcare, and public spaces while largely ignoring trans men.
When Trans Women Are the Focus of Hate
Napier’s findings are painfully obvious when viewed through the lens of transmisogyny. The study notes, for instance, that Western countries showed smaller gaps in prejudice between trans men and trans women compared to non-Western ones. But this doesn’t mean trans women have it easier in the West—just that transmisogyny operates differently there. In Western countries, trans women are often hyper-visible in culture wars, framed as invaders of women’s spaces or corruptors of children.
Take the ongoing legislative attacks in the United States. Bills banning transgender athletes in school sports, for example, nearly always focus on trans women, not trans men. Similarly, the rise of anti-trans bathroom bills hinges on the fabricated threat of “men in dresses” invading women’s restrooms—a trope that relies entirely on dehumanizing trans women. Trans men? Completely absent from these conversations.
This dynamic isn’t incidental. It’s the result of transmisogyny at work, and Napier’s study, though valuable in the data it has collected, fails to name it.
Why This Study Matters (Even with Its Gaps)
For all its shortcomings, Napier’s research is still a win for trans women and their allies. It provides empirical evidence of the biases trans women face, something that trans feminists have long documented but that often goes ignored by mainstream academia. In fact, the sheer scale of the study—its diverse sample size and cross-cultural focus—makes it a crucial resource for understanding global transphobia.
But let’s not pretend this is groundbreaking—Trans women have been speaking out about their experiences for decades. They’ve written the books, created the theories, and borne the brunt of transmisogyny while often being erased from academic and activist spaces. The fact that it takes a study by a cis woman for these dynamics to gain mainstream attention is… well, it’s transmisogyny in action.
Moving Forward: It’s Time to Listen to Trans Women
So, where do we go from here? First, let’s be clear: studies like Napier’s shouldn’t be necessary to validate trans women’s lived experiences. But since we live in a world where data speaks louder than humanity, this research can serve as a rallying point for change.
- For researchers: It’s time to centre trans women’s voices in academic studies. If you’re studying gender or trans issues and you’re not engaging with the work of trans feminists like Julia Serano, you’re part of the problem.
- For allies: Amplify trans women’s stories. Don’t just talk about them; listen to them. And when transmisogyny plays out in activism or academia, call it out.
- For LGBTQ+ movements: Let’s get real about our own biases. Trans women’s liberation is a core part of our collective fight. Excluding or sidelining them isn’t just unethical—it’s a betrayal of the very values we claim to uphold.
Napier’s study is a wake-up call, but the question remains: will we answer it? Or will we continue to treat trans women’s struggles as an afterthought, even when the data screams otherwise?